iPhone 5 Will Get Mobile Payments

By IBT Staff Reporter On 03/18/11 AT 11:05 AM

Apple isn't new to voice-controlled interface. Support for voice commands is offered in both the iPhone and iPod Touch, which allows users to choose songs and artists by speaking into the microphone. Photo: REUTERS

Shortly after rumors surfaced that the upcoming iPhone 5 would not be equipped with Near Field Communication technology, entrepreneurs and manufacturers are speculating that the next iPhone will see the technology after all.

Speaking with a developer working on a NFC-related project, Forbes reports that there is a good chance that the iPhone 5 will support technology enabling features like mobile payment and ticketing. NFC reader manufacturers, too, are convinced of Apple's interest, and are preparing for the eventual influx in orders.

Dreams of an NFC-enabled iPhone 5, expected this summer, were dashed on Tuesday as The Independent reported that Apple was ditching the idea. Concerned with the industry's lack of an accepted standard, Apple was rumored to be developing its own NFC proposal, which would be leveraged via its iTunes store.

But the Forbes story contradicts that report, and is bolstered by a separate story reported by Cult of Mac that an NFC-equipped iPhone will be a part of a future remote computing feature from Apple. The system would allow users to link their iPhones to their desktops, enabling them to sync files across the two devices. Cult of Mac reports that portions of the system are already embedded in Mac OS 10.7 Lion, the next iteration of Apple's operating system.

Apple's efforts at utilizing NFC technology are joined by similar attempts from Google, which is preparing a contactless payment program in New York and San Francisco.